Elevator safety device



` Dec. l, 1925- '1,563,400

M. M. RQBB ELEVATOR SAFETY DEV'ICE Filed Maren v. 1925 Patented Dec. l,1925.

UNITED STATES raam PATENT OFFICE.

MORTIMER M. ROBB, 0F D'ULUTH, MINNESOTA.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

Application led March 7, 1925.

useful Improvements in Elevator Safety De-l vices, of which thefollowing is a specifica- Y tion, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

This invention relates to safety locks for elevators, the same havingspecial reference to passenger elevators such as used in mcdern officebuildings, and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide simple mechanicalmeans whereby it becomes impossible for an elevator operator to move theelevator either up or down at anytime when the doors controlling theentrance to same are open. Y

Another object is to provide means for the automatic controlling of thedoors to the elevator.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such meanswhereby the least mechanism possible is essential at each floor, theelevator carrying the principal operable parts.

Other objects and advantages of the novel structure will appear in thefurther description of the invention.

The illustration shown in the accompanying drawing forming part of thisapplication, in which like references indicate like parts, is that of afragmental portion of an elevator and cooperative floor in a building.

l represents a fragmental portion of a rec-V tangularly shaped elevator,such as commonly found in office or like buildings, while 2 represents afloor of the building past which the elevator operates when verticallyreciprocated within its shaft; the floor sill, at the elevator shaft,being illustrated at 3. 4 and 5 represent the elevator shaft doors onthe floor 2, they travelling in opposite directions within the channelor slot 6 in the door sill 3, such doors being commonly made to operatein unison, that is to say, opening from each other and closing towards.each other simultaneously; the mechanism for such operation not beinghere illustrated as it forms no part of my present invention, but iscommon construction in elevator shaft doors.

7 represents the control arm of the operating device of the elevator,the same being common in various forms of elevators, and is Serial No.13,729.

pivoted at 8, and movable in either direction. When rocked forwardly onits pivotal connection 8, the elevator will proceed to operate in onedirection, and when rotated oppositely the elevator will move in theopposite direction, but when in neutral position, or disposedvertically, the motion of theelevator ceases, except as to that motionwhich may be imparted to it by momentum.

Attached to the operating lever 7, as at 9, and intermediate of the freeend and the .pivotal point `8, is the horizontally disposed rod 10,pivotally connected as atll to the rocker arm 12, which is pivotallymounted in any desired manner to the innermost side of the elevatorcage, as at 13. The lower end of the lever 12 is pivotally attached asat 14.

to the vertically reciprocable rod 15 which extends through the bottomof the cage and is attached as at 16 to the bellcrank lever 17 mountedin any desired manner upon a shaft 18, attached to the under side of thebottom of the cage. To the vertically disposed arm of the bellcranklever 17 is attached the horizontally disposed rod 19 extending acrossthe bottom of the cage and beneath the door opening therein and attachedas at 2O to the dog operating arm 21 pivoted at its upper end as at 22to the front outer wall of the cage, there being a guidingextension 23on said arm for a more secure mounting of same. This arm extendsoutwardly somewhat from the face of the cage and is slightly arcuate inform so that as it passes the upper edge of a floor sill, such as indi`cated at 3, it may cooperate with the roller 24 connected with the doordog 25, which is pivoted as at 26 upon the supporting plate 27 rigidlyattached to the upper face of the sill 3. This door dog 25 extendsnormally diagonally across the sill with its free end in the path of thedoor a which is operable as before stated in the channel 6. The door dog25 is provided with a crank arm 28 to which the pitman 29 is attached.The opposite end of this pitman is pivotally connected as at 30 tothehorizontally reciprocal bar 31 which carries the roller 24, and this baris held in its foremost position with the dog 25 as previously describedby means of any suitable form of contractile spring 32.

By this means it is apparent that when the elevator is passing in eitherdirection a floor thus equipped with the dog 25 (it being Obvious thatthe operating lever 7 must be upon either one side or the other ofcentral position) the arm 2l will pass the roller on the dog 25 withoutoperating saine and consequently not free the door 4 from its lockedposition which is normally maintained as previously described. -lowevenif just prior to approaching a floor from either direction the operatorhas centered his lever 7 in stopping` position which isnecessary in theact of stopping, the arm 2l will be in its farthermost extended positionand with sufficient force engage the roller 24 to rock the dog 25 andremove it from its locked engagement with the door 4, so that if theelevator' stops as anticipated within a reasonable distance of levelwith the floor the doors of the elevator shaft will be automaticallyunlocked.

This reasonable distance may be governed as is obvious by the length ofthe engaging portion of the arm 2l with the roller 24 and is preferablyestablished at approximately three inches either above or below thefloor, and'if such distance is exceeded in either direction the doorswill remain permanently locked against opening from either side thereof.

Now to thevopposite doorv, which as before stated is operated inconjunction with the door 4, ispivotally `attached as at 33 a lever 34,this pivotal connection permitting of rocking motion of the leverwithout its being moved longitudinally, and the opposite end of thelever is pivotally attached as at 35 to the upper face of the sill 3.The lever 34 is provided adjacent its lowermost pivotal end with apin-like roller 86 entending outwardly into the elevator shaft forcooperative engagement with the vertically disposed open faced trough37. T his trough is mounted upon two horizontally reciprocal bars 38 and39 which are slidably mounted within suitable guiding members 4() and 41attached to the front outer wall of the elevator l adjacent one edge ofthe door opening in said elevator. The bar 38 is attached as at 42 tothe vertically disposed lever 43 pivoted at 44 to the elevator wall, andat Vits opposite end as at 45 pivoted to the cranlc arm 46 mounted onthe horizontally disposed shaft 47 which may be supported in any desiredmanner for roelably carrying the twin dog 48.' This twin dog- 48 iskeyed to the shaft 47 and positioned adjacent the upper end of the rodl5 which may be slightly enlarged or squared as at 49 so that the archedfingers of thedog 48 may straddle same to prevent rocking movement ofthe rocher arm 12.

Thus it will be seen that at any time the roller 3G is within the trough37 and the doors of the elevator shaft are closed, no eognizance of suchfact is present respecting the operation of this control mechanism.

However should the doors of the elevator shaft be opened to anyconsiderable extent (this beingl predetermined as desired) thehorizontal movement of the trough 37 will rock the shaft 47 and causethe lingers of the dog 48 to straddle the upper end of the rod 15, thusabsolutely preventing movement of the elevator operating ar n and, asbefore stated, if the elevator has not stopped in its proper relation tothe floor the dog operating arm 2l will not have functioned in respectto the dog 25 and therefore the door cannot be opened, thus providingabsolutely dependable cooperation in respect to the functioning of thedoors and the position of the elevator.

The trough and dog are retained in receptive position at all times forcooperation with the door, as previously described, by the use of thecontractile spring 50.

From the foregoing it is apparent that l have devised a somewhat morepractical device for the safe operation of elevators than that disclosedin my copending application Serial Number 1583, though, in principle,somewhat similar, and, having' thus described my present embodiment ofthe invention what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The combination with an elevator shaft and doors therefor, saidelevator having a control lever therein and means operable by themovement of the elevator for locking or unlocking the doors of theshaft, of

means carried by the elevator for cooperative engagement with operatingmeans carried by one of thedoors.

2. The combination with an elevator, shaft, and doors therefor, saidelevator having a control lever therein, and means operable by themovement of the elevator for locking or unlocking the doors of theshaft, of 'horizontally slidable means carried by the elevator andoperable by the movement of said door for locking or unlocking thecontrol lever of the elevator.

3. The combination with an elevator having a control lever therein, a.shaft, and door therefor, and landing, of horizontally movable meanscarried by the elevator for locking the control lever, normally activedoor locking means carried on the landing, mechanism operable by thecontrol and carried by the elevator for releasing said door lockingmeans when the-elevator is at the landing, and means carried by the doorfor eooperative engagement with the lever locking` means carried by theelevator whereby when the door is open the control lever is locked.

In testimony whereof l hereunto affix my signature.

llt/IORTIMERkr M. ROBE.

